Blessings In Disguise Pt 1
by reilert79
Summary: Miranda makes the ski team, and everyone goes to Vermont to watch her compete. Lisa hits it off with Miranda's ski coach, and the Keelers realize they have a major tragedy on their hands when they are on their way home.


Blessings in Disguise

***Chris and David's Penthouse***

It has been 2 weeks since Miranda made the ski team. She took the entrance exam to Old Dominion, and passed, but ultimately decided to stay at Birch Wathen Lenox.

Lisa is still dating Coach Wade, and they are very smitten with each other.

Chris and Mary Beth are working part time for the NYPD again, and it's going well.

Mary Beth is about to be at Chris and David's to go over their next case.

Chris is sitting on the sofa when Mary Beth knocks. Chris lets her in, and they go back to the living room.

"How are you, Chris?"

"Good. It's been busy around here, but we are good. Miranda made the ski team, and almost changed schools, but chose to stay at her current one. Lisa is dating her ski coach though. It's really cute".

"Wow, that's a lot of family involvement".

"Yeah. David and I were about done with her school, but things came to ahead with this kid Ryan, and the school took care of it, so we feel ok with letting her stay, since he isn't there anymore"

"What kinds of issues?"

"Well, there was this one kid who kept bothering her, and he would lock her in classrooms and make her miss lunch and he shoved her and stole her watch and then broke it. She was very upset over that because Stephanie gave her the watch, and it was sentimental. He told the boys at school that she gave blowjobs in the bathroom after school for money. He told the girls that she used to be male and transitioned. He told some kids that she had AIDS and was only allowed to go to school there out of pity because she was going to die soon. He told some other kids that before Miranda came to school there she had had 4 abortions. The final straw was that he used his school computer to hack her school computer. So, she was taking a shower one night, and she got out and was getting dressed and saw that the light on her webcam was on. She tried to turn it off and it came right back on, and then he messaged her saying that she couldn't do anything to stop him, he could override everything and that he had pictures of her naked he was going to post on the Internet. So, David called the IT guy from his office and he came over and gave us this flashdrive that had software on it and every time he tried to hack her or message her, it would record it. So we took that to the headmaster the next morning, and pulled it up."

"What did they say to this little punk, Chris?"

"It was very direct. They brought him in, asked him yes or no questions, and he answered them. He knew the jig was up. He apologized. They told him he was on the fence about whether or not he could return to school. They sentenced him to sensitivity training, 100 hours community service, banned him from the class trip to Canada in a few weeks, took away his computer for 90 days, banned him from bringing one to school from home, and forced him to apologize to Miranda in front of everyone at Chapel. Because of him, they made a rule that you are allowed to have your phone on you, and can use it if it is an emergency, but not during drills or at lunch or in the halls. And they called his parents and they came up there and decided they were going to remove him from the school and put him in another one. They were threatening military school when we left that day".

"He deserves that. Man, if Alice ever dealt with a kid like that….."

"I tell you what, I have never seen David more livid, and more gentlemanly than I did that day. He was incensed sitting there at the table, listening to what the punk did. But later, after chapel, Ryan came up to us and apologized again for what he did, and David actually shook hands with him and accepted his apology."

"Hopefully this young man will get some guidance and change his life for the better".

"I agree. And after everything Miranda has gone through, it's time she got a break and had at least one place to go where people aren't bothering her and she can just be a kid".

They got to work. Their case was a case of an abduction. The victim was an elderly lady. Her husband was a well-known businessman. She had been missing 4 months. The kidnappers had demanded a ransom payment, and it had been paid, but nobody had been caught, and she hadn't found.

"Victim's name is Laurie Grace Baker, aged 84".

"Where was she abducted from?"

"Her home in Cresskill. There was a note left that stated that this was because her husband, Marshall had bought a business and didn't retain any of the former employers."

"Any witnesses?"

"A neighbor reported that there was a van without windows that drove through the neighborhood several times over the previous 4 days. And there was also a pickup truck that was out of place seen that morning as well".

Chris handed Mary Beth the reports, and she began to look at them.

"Says here a neighbor got a plate on the van. New York plates, AML-9864. Traced to a James Newton, but he claims that he sold the van on Craigslist 4 months before the kidnapping".

Chris decided they were going to go see Mr. Newton at his home and ask him a few questions.

***Mr. Newton's home***

Chris and Mary Beth knocked on the door. After a few moments, a lady answered.

"May I help you?"

"Hi. We are with the NYPD, and we are looking for a James Newton. May we speak to him?"

"I'm sorry. He's not here".

"Do you know where we can find him? We just need to ask some questions".

"He's at work right now. He will be back later."

"where does he work?"

"Big Fall Lumber, about 4 blocks from here".

"Thank you, ma'am".

***Big Fall's Lumber***

Chris and Mary Beth pulled up to Big Fall's lumber, and parked. They went inside and asked for James Newton.

"He was just sent home. He had a fight with someone so I gave him the day off".

"Do you have any idea where he might be?"

"He frequents the bar that's about 5 miles from here It's called Legend's. You can usually find him sitting on the first bar stool as soon as you walk in".

"Thank you".

***Legend's bar***

Chris and Mary Beth went into Legend's. Sure enough, there was James Newton sitting on the first bar stool.

"Mr. Newton?"

"That's me".

"We are with the NYPD. We would like to ask you some questions".

"About what?"

"I am Lieutenant Keeler, and this is my partner, Detective Lacey. We would like to know if you know anything about the disappearance of Laurie Grace Baker."

"I told the police months ago, that I don't know anything. I haven't talked to Marshall Baker since he screwed me and a few others out of a job about 3 years ago".

"Why don't you tell us what happened".

"I was working for this company, Riverside Lumber. And it was a good job. I drove a forklift, and I made good money, I was able to support my family. And then Marshall swooped in and bought the company. And he told us that it would be official in about 5 months, and that we would be ok. He promised that nobody was getting fired, and that a few things would change but not much. And then the day after the deal was complete, he fired all of us. No severance, nothing. Just closed down the business altogether and then later reopened it under his own name and didn't hire any of us. I don't care who you are, that's dirty".

Mr. Newton was about 3 pints into inebriation.

"Where were you the day that his wife was kidnapped?"

"In Jersey, looking for a job".

"Are you aware that a van registered in your name was seen in her neighborhood?"

"Yes, but like I already stated that I had sold that van 4 months before."

"When you buy a used car, you typically get new plates for it, Mr. Newton".

"The plates wouldn't have expired on the van till about 6 months later. I would wait till I had to renew them to renew them".

"Is there anything else you want to tell us, Mr. Newton?'

"Not a thing".

Chris handed him her card and told him to keep in touch.

"Thank you".

***In the car***

"Mary Beth, I think he's guilty as sin".

"I agree. He was all distraught and angry, and then when you asked him about the plates, he changed his demeanor. He got smirky, even".

"Well, we will have to keep looking. We don't have cause to tail him or anything".

She dropped Mary Beth off, and then headed to pick up Miranda.

She got Miranda from school and they went home.

***Chris and David's penthouse***

Chris and Miranda came in and Chris headed to change clothes. Miranda changed clothes and then made herself a snack.

The weather was getting ugly outside, so Chris started making dinner so that they wouldn't have to go out.

She made caprese stuffed chicken and consomme rice, and a chopped salad.

She texted David and asked him when he would be home.

"Leaving now, babe".

There was a huge storm brewing. Lightning was all around them. About 10 minutes after Chris put the chicken and rice in the oven, the power went out.

She scurried around, lighting candles. She got out the power bank and hooked her phone up to it and told Miranda she could do the same.

Miranda plugged her phone up and declared she was going to bed. She went to her room and shut the door.

David came in about 10 minutes later.

"Hiya babe." He came over and kissed her.

"How did you get up here?'

"The elevator runs off generators, babe".

She grabbed a candle and followed him to the bedroom while he changed clothes.

"I was making your favorite dinner, honey, but the power went out".

"Well, we can have it when the power comes back on."

He put on the silk pajama pants that she had given him. He grabbed a t-shirt to put on and went and sat on the bed. She sat next to him, and put the candle on the night stand.

"Had a very long meeting today, babe. It was so hard to get through, all I wanted was to come home and be with you".

"Aww honey…" she leaned over and kissed him.

"this morning at the office, one of the partners, Jack Watson was packing his office up. He had put in his notice. We all asked him where he was going and he said his wife of 28 years had cheated on him with his own brother, so he was getting divorced and he decided now would be the best time for him to move closer to his parents, so he was taking some time off to help them, and then he would find a job where they live. Everyone kept talking about how marriages and relationships fall apart and it just made me realize that I am so lucky to have you, babe. And then, all I wanted to do was come home and make love to you and show you how much I love you".

Chris sat on his lap, and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Chris leaned forward and kissed him. She ran her fingers through his hair.

"I missed you today too, honey".

He kissed her neck and held her close.

"Yeah, just today or every day?"

"Every day, you know that".

He pulled down the strap of her tank top, and slowly peeled it off her. He leaned back on the bed and pulled her with him, and then rolled her over to her back. They made love and snuggled up after they had gotten dressed again.

About an hour later, they woke up when the power came back on.

Chris sat up, and kissed David and then headed to the kitchen.

She reset the oven, and adjusted the time and set the table. David went to check on Miranda but she was still asleep. They decided to let her sleep and save her some dinner for when she woke up.

Chris and David went to the den and sat on the couch to watch the news. It was pouring outside still.

"I love a good rainstorm".

"Me too, babe".

She curled up and put her head on his chest and he wrapped his arms around her.

"So, honey. Are we still going to your ball this weekend?"

"Yes".

"What kind of dress do you want me to get?"

"Hmm…something sexy".

"Well, now that I have a smaller chest, I can wear different styles easier, honey. So, there are more options. Like strapless, keyhole, plunge…."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yep". She nodded.

"Does your back still hurt like it used to?"

"Not as bad, but the same spots still get sore".

He kissed her and pulled her on to his lap. She straddled him and laid her head on his shoulder. He gave her a reverse back massage, while he hugged her.

"Oh honey, this feels amazing.".

He worked his knuckles into her lower back.

"Oh yeah, that feels so good, honey".

She started kissing him and then they laid down on the couch and covered up with a blanket.

"Honey, Miranda is right down the hall…"

"She's asleep, babe".

They made out for a little bit and then the timer went off on the oven, signaling that dinner was ready.

"Hold that thought, honey".

Chris got up and started getting dinner out of the oven, and they decided to eat in the den.

"What are you doing tomorrow?"

"I have court, babe. Representing a man who was fired after his boss found out he was gay."

"Well, I know that you will get him a fair settlement".

"What are you and Mary Beth doing tomorrow?"

"I don't know that we are doing anything. I have a date with Bridgit to pick out a dress for the ball, and I have an acupuncture appointment".

"Well, I don't have to be in court till 12:45, want to have lunch?"

"Sure. Where?"

"Here".

"Ok".

After they finished dinner, they cleaned up the kitchen together and then decided to get in the hot tub.

Chris went and put on a purple ruffled bikini top and black bottoms, and made both of them drinks. David got the hot tub turned on and changed into his swim trunks. Chris grabbed two towels and put them on a chair just inside the door.

Chris climbed in and David climbed in right after, and sat next to her.

They soaked for a good bit, and cuddled and kissed some.

"Where should we go on our next vacation, honey?"

"Where do you want to go, babe?" He was nibbling on her ear.

"I like going places with you that we haven't ever been before. I am thinking we need to go to Bermuda or maybe Barbados. Where do you want to go?'

"Red roof inn, down the street".

"David!"

"I was kidding, babe."

"Good".

"I don't' care where we go, as long as we lock ourselves in the room and don't leave it for at least 24 hours".

"Babe, we don't have to go somewhere tropical for that. We can just get a room here in town and spend the night".

"Good idea, babe. I will make arrangements".

"For when?"

"How about next Friday night? Miranda will be going to her ski competition that night and we aren't driving up till the next afternoon, so we have all night Friday and most of Saturday to lay somewhere and make love".

"Sounds great babe, but why not do it here?"

"It's more exciting if we aren't at our house".

"That's true. Where do you want to stay?"

"I will find us a really awesome place and surprise you, babe. Just make sure that you pack your sexiest lingerie".

"Deal, honey".

He pulled Chris onto his lap then, and grabbed her chest. He pulled her top down so she was flashing him, and sucked on her nipples a bit, and then they switched places and finally made love in the hot tub.

After they finished, they went inside and headed to bed. Miranda was still asleep. David locked the house up and got Chris some fresh water and put it by the bed.

They climbed into bed and fell asleep.

***Tuesday***

Chris woke up and took Miranda to school and then headed for her acupuncture appointment. She had the nurse do a stress test to determine where her stressed spots were, and she placed the needles in the corresponding spots to relieve the stress, increase her energy, and give her immunity.

She laid there for an hour, and then they took the needles out, and she got dressed again and went home.

David was going to be home at 11:15 for lunch. She made him his favorite mile high turkey sandwich. She had it waiting for him on the counter. She was in the bedroom changing the sheets on the bed when she heard David come in.

"Babe, I'm home".

"In here, honey. Your sandwich is on the counter".

She had just started the washing machine and was walking towards him in the kitchen when he grabbed her and swept her into a romantic kiss.

"You are what I want for lunch, babe". He picked her up and carried her to the bed. They got undressed, closed the curtains and climbed into bed.

They made love a few times and then David's alarm went off signaling that he had to leave. They got up and got dressed and she fixed his tie for him. She redid her makeup quickly, and fixed her hair, and they shared a few passionate kisses and then they both left. He walked her to the car and kissed her goodbye and she headed to meet Bridgit while he headed to court.

"Love you babe".

"Love you honey".

***Bloomingdale's***

Chris walked in and went to Bridgit's department.

Bridgit came over and hugged her.

"It's that time again, gotta pick out an evening gown for the ball".

"Ok sounds great. Come with me".

She took Chris to a private fitting room, and remeasured her. Then they went looking for dresses. Chris put on a robe that Bridgit had found her, and they started looking. Bridgit found several gorgeous gowns, in all different colors. She had found an emerald one, a deep red one, a hot pink one with black sequins, a gorgeous lavender one, and a bright blue one. She found some short ones and some long ones. Chris grabbed a dark blue one, a seafoam green one, a silver sparkly one, and a purple one with a black bodice. She grabbed a black bandage sheath dress that was short with a plunge neckline and long sleeves. Bridgit found a mermaid style dress that was sea foam green and tight to the mid-thigh and then had black sequins and feathers off the bottom of the dress with a small accented train.

They took all of these to the dressing room. Chris tried all of them on, and eliminated the first 5 dresses.

She tried on the short black dress, and decided she wanted it for date night or another party. She kept looking for the perfect ball gown. She tried on the others and really liked the bright blue one. It was off the shoulder, all over sequin, and had a sweetheart neckline. She put that on the maybe pile. She tried on the seafoam mermaid dress and just couldn't decide. She waited till Bridgit came back and told her she wanted to show her this one.

She came out and stood on the round step so Bridgit could see it, and Bridgit was emphatic that this was the one.

"Aunt Chris, this dress is the best dress you have ever tried on, and the best dress I have ever seen on you".

"Really?"

"Yes! You look gorgeous!" She pulled a mirror over and put it so Chris could see herself.

"Oh, wow. I do like this dress".

"It's gorgeous".

"I'm not sure about the color though."

"Well, we have that dress in other colors. I will go grab some".

Chris stood there and waited for Bridgit to come back, and took a few selfies of herself in the dress.

Bridgit came back with a pink one, a purple one, a silver/gray one, and a deep blue one. She tried on all of them, and liked the blue one the best. The blue one was deep blue, almost a blueish gray from the top to the mid-thigh, and then it was light blue on the bottom and had black feathers and black sequins.

Bridgit found Chris some black strappy heels to try on with it so she could get the full effect. She decided she would rather wear her crusted peep toe heels with it.

She decided to get the black short dress, the blue mermaid dress, and an emerald long sleeved gown with an open back and lace edges. She was going to let David pick between the two for the ball.

She had Bridgit hold the gowns for her, and then went to the lingerie department. She picked out some new underwear and bras and a new barely-there nightgown that was sheer and black. She figured David would love it. She grabbed another set of sticky boobs to wear with the gown and then checked out.

After everything was bagged up, she hugged Bridgit and then headed home.

On the way home, she stopped to pick up Miranda, and take her to ski practice.

She decided to make chili for dinner, so she headed to the grocery store and got the ingredients and then went home.

***Chris and David's penthouse***

Chris came in and locked the door behind her. She took the gowns to the bedroom and changed clothes. She came back to the kitchen and started making the chili, and put it all in the crockpot. It would be at least 3 hours before they ate.

After it was all in the crockpot, she turned it on and went and sat down on the couch.. She was watching the news when she got a text from Lisa, saying that she could bring Miranda home so they wouldn't have to get out again.

"Perfect, thank you sweetie".

She texted David and asked him when he would be home, and he told her he was just leaving.

She was watching the news when she got a phone call.

"Hello?"

"Hi. I am looking for Christine Keeler".

"This is she, how may I help you?"

"Well ma'am, I am a bartender at a bar about an hour north of the city. And there is a guy who comes in here a lot, and a few days ago, you came in and asked him questions and then gave him your card. He left the card on the bar when he went home. After you left, he had at least 5 more drinks before I cut him off. And during his last drink he was saying things that I found rather suspicious."

"Like what kind of things?"  
"Like that he didn't mean to hurt her, that he only wanted to force the husband to make things right. And that everything got out of control and he didn't know how to fix it, and he just wanted to provide for his family".

"Ok, can I have your name please?"

"Evan Garret".

"Ok Evan, I need you to come to 1 police plaza and write out your statement of what you heard him say and then we will give it to my boss, ok?"

"Yes ma'am. I can do that tomorrow".

"Thank you so much".

She texted Mary Beth and then Feldberg.

"This is great Lieutenant. I will send a uniform to pick up the assailant and hold him for questioning. Also, I delved into the other case that you and Mary Beth did, Ashtyn Perry's kidnapping. I found several errors that were committed by the precinct, and I wanted to let you know that there will be a press conference in the morning. I am having the entire precinct brought up on sanctions, as a direct result of your investigation. Good work, lieutenant, and it's great to have you back on the force".

"Thank you, Todd".

David got home a little while later, and came in.

"Hi babe". He kissed her a few times.

"Hi honey".

She kissed him several times. They headed to the bedroom so that David could change clothes and Chris started telling him about her ball gowns.

"Can I see them?"

"Sure. Is there a theme this year?"

"Under the Sea".

"Oh, well then that decides what gown I am wearing".

She put on the emerald one for him, and he liked it.

"This will be good for another fancy dress night. Just thought I would get it in case".

She put on the black bandage dress, and he was mesmerized.

"I love that on you babe. But you can't wear that out, because I won't be able to keep my hands off you".

"That could make for an interesting evening". She kissed him and then took it off and put on the other one.

He zipped her up, and then whistled at her.

"Babe, that's the one. You are a knockout". He leaned down and kissed the side of her neck and wrapped his arms around her.

She took the gown off and hung it back up and put her pajamas on.

"Get anything else babe?"

"Maybe".

She turned and kissed him some, and then they went to the kitchen.

The chili had about an hour left, so they sat down on the couch and began to watch the news.

"What time do we have to go get Miranda?"

"Lisa texted that she would bring her home".

"What time is practice over?"

"Around 8:30. She should be home around 9".

"So we have the place to ourselves for the next 3 hours?"

She nodded.

They snuggled up and embraced, and kissed for a few minutes.

"Missed you today, babe".

"I missed you too, honey".

"How did your acupuncture go?"

"Really well, actually. She gave me an exam and put the needles in and I am telling you, it was almost instant relief. I think I am going to go once a week or once every two weeks, to keep it up."

"That's a good idea babe".

He stretched out on the couch and she stretched out next to him. They kissed passionately, and then made love right there on the couch.

"we need more nights like this, babe'".

"I agree. I miss our romance nights. I mean, I love having Miranda here, but we need time alone too".

"Well, we are just going to have to make time for ourselves, babe".

She heard the timer go off, so she sat up and put her top back on. She fixed her pants and then headed to the kitchen.

David got redressed and then came to join her.

"What's for dinner, babe?"

"Chili, just the way you like it".

David was picky about his chili, and nobody could make it better than Chris- extra meat, extra onions, and no beans.

She made two bowls of chili, and then got out the shredded cheese and sour cream, and they added their toppings.

"This is great, babe". He grabbed some crackers and they decided since it was just the two of them, they would eat in front of the TV on the couch. She put some in a bowl for Miranda and put it in the microwave.

She joined David on the couch, and they settled in to watch TV.

After they were finished, she went and cleaned up the kitchen and then came back to join him on the couch.

They were curled up watching a movie when Lisa brought Miranda home.

She came in with her.

"Hi sweetheart".

"Hi Aunt Chris!".

They hugged and Lisa sat down on the couch next to Chris.

"Bridgit said you got this knockout dress! Can I see it?"

"Absolutely, come on".

Chris and Lisa headed to the bedroom. David stayed in the kitchen with Miranda. Miranda was heating her bowl of chili and getting her plate ready.

Chris and Lisa were in Chris' closet. She showed her the emerald dress, and Lisa agreed that it was a good standby gown.

She showed her the date night dress and Lisa fell in love with it.

"I have several dresses like these. They are so comfortable and so hot".

She unzipped the bag that had the mermaid gown, and pulled it out.

"Oh my goodness, Aunt Chris, it's to die for!"

Chris slipped it on, and Lisa was mesmerized. "I love the bottom part of the dress! You are going to be a knockout in this".

"Thanks, it's a little different from what I normally wear, but as soon as I put it on, I was like this is it".

"When is the ball?"

"Saturday night".

"Awesome".

She took the dress off, and put it back in the bag and hung it back up.

"So how are things with Wade?"

"He's the best. He respects me, he treats me like a queen, and we just have the best time together. I find myself wanting to be wherever he is".

"That's great, sweetie. He seems like a nice guy".

"He is. He has his own place, and he works at a great firm- he has a law degree, he's so smart".

Lisa paused for a second. "And the best part is, he has a best friend who I think will be perfect for Bridgit. So, they are going out with us tomorrow night".

"That's so sweet! What's he like?"

"Well, his name is Grant, and he is 2 years older than Bridgit. Anyways, he works for a marketing firm, and he is the funniest guy ever- great personality. He volunteers with an organization that feeds the homeless. So each Saturday, he gets up really early and goes to this mission and either helps cook eggs to go in breakfast burritos or helps pack the bags for those that bike to pass out to the homeless. He's just an all-around nice guy. I hope she likes him. She came with me to a party at Wade's house last weekend, and he was there and they kept making eyes at each other, so I think they will".

"where are ya'll going?"

"Dinner at Eighty1, and then drinks at Nubo".

"Well, I expect to hear all the details, sweet girl, and I hope ya'll have a great time. Remember, they have to pass the aunt test at some point".

"We know".

Chris and Lisa went back to the den, and Lisa went to tell Miranda goodbye and told her she would see her Saturday at practice.

"Are you helping coach the team?"

"I guess. He wants me there because sometimes the girls need to ask a woman questions that they can't ask him. Plus, I love watching him coach".

Lisa said her goodbyes, and then left.

Chris locked the door and set the alarm, and went to take a relaxing bubble bath.

Miranda finished eating dinner and headed to her room to do homework and go to bed.

David came and joined Chris in the bath, and scrubbed her back for her and then soaked with her for a bit.

They got out, and dried off, and put on pajamas. It was going to be cold tonight, so Chris turned on the heated mattress pad. She climbed into bed and David went and got her a glass of water, and then joined her. The house was finally quiet.

They snuggled up and watched the news, and then fell asleep.

***Wednesday***

Chris woke up and took Miranda to school and then picked up Mary Beth. They were going to attend the press conference that Feldberg was holding about the inefficiency of the Brooklyn precinct.

They headed into 1 police plaza and signed in. The suspect in their current case, James Newton, had sang like a canary when they brought him in, and he had been charged with kidnapping and extortion. Feldberg was meeting with him and telling him that any deals that were made would only be made if he told them the location of her whereabouts. So far, he was refusing.

Chris and Mary Beth were there during the press conference, and stood over off to the side. Feldberg had made a very bold, passionate statement about how disgusted he was with the lack of competence shown by the Brooklyn precinct.

"Thanks to the diligence of some of my detectives, we uncovered a case that the officers at the Brooklyn precinct were flat-out ignoring. The case involved a missing teenager. Instead of doing their job and investigating the facts presented to them, and searching for evidence that would lead them to the missing teen, as they had been trained and are paid to do, they kept insisting to her parents that she was a runaway. If it had not been for the parents of the missing teen reaching out to one of our detectives that they knew personally, this case wouldn't be solved today. Thanks to our detectives who chose to uphold the law and their training and the respect of the department, the teen has been reunited with her family, and 3 other cases were solved in the process. I will not stand for officers ignoring cases. I will not stand for officers sweeping a case under the rug because they don't want to deal with it. They are paid to do their job and they are trained how to do it and I expect them to do it with the upmost respect for this department and the law, and for the families involved in the cases. I will not accept anything less."

Nick and his wife were there, and came up to Chris and Mary Beth to thank her once again.

She and Mary Beth left right after the press conference was over. She dropped Mary Beth off, and then headed to get a mani/pedi. She chose a bright sparkly hot pink color to pop against her dress for the ball.

She picked up a few groceries and decided to make pesto chicken for dinner, with grilled veggies.

She headed home. She was planning on a nap before picking up Miranda.

***Chris and David's penthouse***

Chris came in and locked the door. She put the groceries away, and saw that she had 2 ½ hours till she had pick up Miranda.

She pulled the curtains in the bedroom, and changed into her favorite Victoria's Secret sweatpants and a long-sleeve Henley tee. She climbed into bed and set her alarm and fell asleep.

When she woke up, she grabbed her phone and headed to get Miranda.

Miranda was asking for Starbucks, so they stopped and picked it up.

When they got home, Miranda headed to her room, while Chris started preparing dinner.

She had everything ready, and was just waiting on David to get home so he could grill the chicken.

She set the table and made his favorite peach tea for him, and put it in the fridge.

He got home around 5:30.

"Hey babe". He kissed her a few times.

"Hi honey". She kissed him back. He went and changed clothes and then she asked him to start the grill. She had everything ready on pans for him to grill.

She boiled the pasta while he grilled the chicken and they both finished just in time. She plated everyone's dinner while he went and got Miranda.

After they finished eating, David told Miranda she was in charge of clean up duty, and he and Chris headed to the den.

"I took care of some stuff for us today, babe. Got us new homeowner's insurance policies, and got us reduced rates on car insurance. I also paid our HOA dues, and renewed our license plates".

"You are the best, honey. Thank you for taking care of me like you do".

"Anything for you, babe".

They watched TV for a few hours, and then headed to bed.

***Thursday***

Chris and the girls had planned to have lunch. She loved their girl time.

They had picked a pasta restaurant-Pomodoro. She got there first and got them a table.

They showed up a few minutes later, and sat down.

It was nice for them to catch up and chat about whatever.

Bridgit immensely enjoyed her date with Grant and couldn't wait for another one. Lisa was still dating Wade and they were getting pretty serious.

They were asking her questions about how she and David keep the mystery in the relationship going after all this time.

"Well, we still do things for each other, just because. Like every night, he gets me a fresh glass of water and puts it by my bed. I love that. And sometimes when I am taking a bubble bath at night, he climbs in with me, and rubs my back and shoulders. We love nothing more than to just curl up on the couch and watch TV together. And then there's other things, like yesterday he told me he had renewed our license plates, and gotten us more homeowner's insurance. Things that I don't have to worry about because he has already done it. I know he likes black lingerie, so I keep some in the drawer. I know he likes a few dishes that I make really well, so I make them every so often, just because. That's kind of our secret- we don't do stuff for each other only when it's expected, we do it when it's not expected too".

"I hope I can find a guy like that".

"Maybe you already did. Give him time".

"Yeah, Wade is always telling me how much of a gentleman Grant is- I think you will see he is like that".

"Is Wade like that for you?"

"So far. He opens the doors for me, car and building. He also gives me flowers almost every time he sees me, and he pulls my chair out when I sit next to him, and if I am carrying something, he insists on taking it for me. He also jumped all over this kid on the ski team who was being rude and disrespectful towards me. It's very sweet to have someone care about me so much".

"I think you two have finally done it".

"Done what?"

"Grown up. You two are beautiful young ladies now, not the little nieces I am accustomed to".

"Well thanks, Aunt Chris".

"So, what are you guys doing this weekend?"

"Friday, we don't have anything planned. Saturday, we are going to David's ball that his work is putting on. We gotta find somewhere for Miranda to go, I don't want to leave her home all night by herself. And Sunday, she has a ski competition that we are driving up and back for".

"You don't have to find anywhere for her to stay-the team is driving up Saturday afternoon and we are spending the night".

"Great! That works out perfectly".

They finished their lunch, and then Chris paid the check. She had the waitress bring her a to-go box and boxed up her leftovers. She also bought a bottle of their dressing that she liked so much.

She headed to pick up Miranda and then went home.

***Chris and David's penthouse***

Chris and Miranda came in and Miranda headed to her bedroom. Daivd texted Chris that he would be home in an hour. She responded back with a heart emoji.

He got home and came in to change clothes and she saw that he had a package.

"Hey babe". He kissed her a few times and put the package on the bed.

"I picked up a few things for the house today. A fireproof/waterproof/gunproof safe, for our documents and another one for whatever we want to put in it. That one's bigger. I also got you one for your jewelry, because I know you have several pieces that mean a lot to you. And I got some cameras that I am going to have installed outside the apartment door in the hallway, and right when we come in, by the door".

"That's great, honey. What brought this on?"

"I just thought it was a good idea".

They opened the fire safes and he called Miranda in there and asked her if there was anything that she wanted to put in it.

"if we have a disaster, we could lose everything kiddo. We can replace some things but we can't replace what your mom gave you, so if it's important to you, put it in here and if you want it out, just ask".

"Where are we going to keep the safes?"

"Probably in our closet".

She took one and went to her room. When she came back her watch was in it, and so was a picture of her and her mom, and the pile of letters that her mom had written her. Chris added the gifts that she had gotten from Stephanie's house for Miranda when she turned 16, and the jewelry she treasured the most from her dad and David. She decided to put the original pieces in the safe and have copies made. David put their financial papers and their insurance papers in there.

They also put birth certificates and social security cards, as well as their passports in there.

Chris was troubled by the cameras, but she didn't want to say anything in front of Miranda.

They put all of those in the closet and David called and set up someone to install the cameras the next day. He downloaded the app for the cameras to their phones, and then they decided to have dinner. She made them pork chops with rice and a salad, and they all cleaned up the kitchen together.

Later, when they were lying in bed, she turned to David.

"Honey, is something going on?"

"Like what?"

"Well, you upped our homeowner's insurance. Then today, you get fireproof safes and cameras to go outside our door and inside our home. Is there something you aren't telling me?"

"Nothing major. Just a scumbag that I represented years ago, and managed to get him a reduced sentence on something he could have done a lot of time for, has been threatening to kill me and burn the building down. So, I just thought it was best to take some precautions is all".

"Honey…where is this guy?"

"Doing 20 years at Clinton Correctional Facility. I promise you I am not worried about him. There is no way possible for him to get out of prison".

"That's good".

She told him all about her lunch with the girls, and the weekend plans. He was glad to hear that Miranda was going to be going to spend the night with the ski team, so that they would be able to go to the ball.

They snuggled up and fell asleep, with both of them dreaming about the ball.

***Saturday***

David had had the cameras installed, and Chris was actually liking being able to see who was in the hallway if someone knocked on the door. She had to admit that they were a good purchase. They had downloaded the app to Miranda's phone and told her it was non-negotiable that she keep it on there and use it if she was home alone.

Lisa picked Miranda up around 12, and Chris hugged her goodbye and told her they would see her tomorrow. She was nervous, but they knew she would do well.

Chris took a long bath before the ball, and then started getting ready. David was out running errands and getting a haircut.

Chris got out and put a robe on, and sat at her vanity doing her makeup and hair. She decided to go with curls, and put a sparkly barrette in her hair, and then started curling the rest. She put on some diamond earrings that David had given her, and the tanzanite necklace from Aruba. After she was flawless, she put on the dress, and got out the peep toe pumps.

David got home and put his tux on, and then waited for her in the den.

This year, the ball was going to have a full dinner for the attendee's, so they weren't going to have to go anywhere beforehand.

When she was all dressed, she grabbed a black sequined clutch from her closet and switched purses.

She went out into the den, and grabbed her coat from the coat closet.

"Babe, you look sensational". He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her a few times.

She kissed him back and then they headed out.

***At the ball***

The ball was in the grand ballroom at the Plaza. They came in and signed in, and were given their wristbands for the bar.

They chose a table, and went to get food. It was a seafood buffet, and Chris was in heaven. They had everything- shrimp, crab legs, lobster, you name it. She grabbed some lobster tails and some shrimp, and some fruit and rice. The pineapple fried rice was especially good.

She and David ate, and then the dancing began. He led her to the dance floor and they shared a couple slow dances and a few faster ones. They were oblivious to everyone else, but everyone else definitely noticed them.

After about 8 dances in a row, they decided to sit and have a drink. David went and got her a club soda with lime and a coke for himself.

The head of the firm made his speech and introduced all the lawyers and they handed out awards. There was a silent auction and a door prize game they were going to play. She and David walked up and down the tables of silent auction items, and bid on a few things. David was really hoping they would win a ski weekend.

Chris bid on a few spa packages and some cookware and cookbooks.

They were sitting at the table when the door prize game began.

"Here's how it works, folks. We are going to ask a series of trivia questions. If you have the answers, write them on the paper that is on your table. When you are done, put them in a box, and we will tally the answers. If you get all of them right, your table number will go in a drawing for our first door prize. After that, we will go around the room, until all the prizes are gone. Here's the first question".

Chris was listening intently and was ready. She loved trivia stuff.

"Name 5 of the main characters on Knots Landing".

"Question 2: Who shot JR?"

"Question 3: Name the person associated with the address 501 Riverside. Question 4: What TV show is this lyric from: "Who could turn the world on with her smile?" And the final one- What was the name of the television show that featured 4 female senior citizens as roommates in a tropical location? When you have all the answers written down, turn your paper into the box at the front".

Chris was certain she knew all of these.

She grabbed the paper and wrote the answers down.

Karen Mackenzie, Greg Sumner, Abby Fairgate Ewing, Gary Ewing, Valene Ewing. She added the names of the actors and actresses just to be safe.

Kristin Shepherd.

Grant's tomb. This one made her smile for a minute, it was a joke that Lt. Samuels had teased her about a few times. She was somewhat sad remembering him, as she missed him so much.

Mary Tyler Moore.

The Golden Girls.

Chris put her and David's name and table number on the sheet and turned it in. They grabbed dessert off the dessert table, and came and sat back down. She had picked creme brulee, and he had chosen blackberry cheesecake.

After they were finished they headed to the dance floor to dance some. There was a dance contest about who could dance the longest, and they easily won. They did another contest about who had been together the longest, and they came in second place.

Chris had to go to the bathroom, so David went and sat while she did, and then she joined him at the table. They were about to announce the door prize winners.

"Ladies and gentleman, we have an overall clear winner for the first door prize- table 12, David and Christine Keeler! They also won the dance contest. They get 2 golden tickets, and since they came in second in the other contest they get a silver ticket. Congratulations!".

David went and got their tickets. Chris was confused.

"Well, we have two golden tickets, so that means we get first dibs at any of the door prizes. And the silver ticket means we get to go first in the second round".

They went to look at the door prizes and they selected a salt lamp, and an electric skillet.

They sat down at their table. At the beginning of the second round, they didn't really see anything else they wanted so they got a second salt lamp, and decided to put it on the other side of the penthouse.

Chris was suddenly ravenous, so she and David decided they were going to leave and grab burgers and shakes somewhere on the way home.

It had been an enchanted evening.

They took their prizes and headed to the front, and were surprised to learn they had won a prize in the raffle for best dressed. They were given a small wrapped package. They took it and headed home.

David helped Chris into the car, and they stopped and got burgers and shakes. Chris was going to have to workout extra hard the next week to work off all the pasta and desserts she had been eating.

***Chris and David's penthouse***

They came in and headed to the den. They didn't change out of their ball clothes, they ate all dressed up.

"This is the best cheeseburger I have ever tasted, honey".

"I agree. We need to make them like this more often".

They had each gotten a burger that had been stuffed with cheddar cheese, and wrapped with cheddar. It was so good.

David had picked the chocolate shake, and Chris had picked the strawberry.

After they finished, they went to change clothes. Chris was excited about their salt lamps, so she opened them and set them up.

They put one in their bedroom, and one in the hallway outside Miranda's bedroom. These were the tall ones that were like a basket. It only took a few minutes to put the salt in the basket part, and then plug it up. She set the lamp to low in their bedroom, and high outside Miranda's.

"What do these do, babe?'

"They are supposed to help us sleep and help purify the air."

David was skeptical, but kept it to himself.

He carried the lamp to the designated spot and Chris turned it on.

It had a nice glow to it.

Chris cleaned up the trash and threw it away, and then they headed to bed.

Chris had climbed into bed and turned on the heated mattress pad. David locked the doors and set the alarm, and got her some fresh water.

She turned the news on, and they snuggled up to watch it. She laid her head on his chest and he kissed her forehead.

"Tonight was so fun, honey. I could go dancing with you all the time".

"You were the prettiest gal there, babe."

He kissed her a few times. They made love, and then fell asleep.

***Sunday***

Chris woke up and made David's favorite breakfast, a Spanish omelet. After they were done eating, they loaded the dishwasher and then started it. Chris grabbed some things at the last minute and put them in the fire safe and locked it.

"Honey are you planning on us skiing today, or just watching?"

"Just watching".

She went and showered and got dressed. She put on black fleece leggings and distressed jeans, and a thick gray sweater. She put on her black furry winter boots, and grabbed her big black jacket and her gloves and scarf and earmuffs.

David layered up as well and they got ready to go. Chris went and turned the salt lamps off before they left, and closed the curtains.

They headed out to the ski resort.

***Alpine ski resort***

Chris and David arrived at the ski resort around 12. Miranda's competition was going to begin at 2. She was allowed to eat lunch with them, as long as she was in place by 1.

After lunch, Chris and David walked through the lobby, and then found a spot to sit and charge their phones.

They went and stood on the sidelines with some hot chocolate right before the competition was starting. Miranda had 5 events and she was first in each one. She was competing in three ski events and 2 snowboard events.

She placed first in 4 events and second in one. She was a natural. The only reason she lost the one event was because she played it safe and her competitor didn't.

As soon as the awards were over, she headed to change clothes. The team was going to dinner afterwards, and Lisa said she would bring her home around 9.

"Perfect, see you then sweetie. Great job today!"

Chris and David hugged her goodbye and then left, heading home.

Chris had fallen asleep in the car about an hour after they left the ski resort. David was driving and listening to a podcast.

Chris woke up when her phone started going off. Messages from Mary Beth. "Partner, you ok?"

Messages from Isbecki. "Talk to me Chris. You ok?"

She was trying to respond to them when David's phone rang.

He answered it and then said "We are on our way home, should be there in a few hours".

He hung the phone up, and turned to her.

"Babe, there's been a fire".

***To be continued***


End file.
